My LFS has lost a customer - but what do I do now?

kilhullen

Member
OK, so I am trying to cycle a 30 gallon tank I want to use as a QT. I have been adding Biozyme but I am chunking that crud to the curb. I have sent my husband to the LFS to take a sample of our water to test, and to buy a shrimp to put in the tank.
Husband just called me from the LFS (he's such a pushover
) laughing at me because the manager of the LFS (who is not a saltwater or even a fish person at all) tells him I am insane for my request. OK, so I don't know the exact semantics, and all, but he puts the phone on speaker and I hear her in the background just repeating herself about how it is normal for the red sea kits to read a value for trates then not read a value. Just sit back and let it happen. SO... I tell him to PLEASE just have them do a full panel test for me so I can see where we stand so far - because I don't want to trust just one test anyway - what if the batch were bad!
So she supposedly tests and says that trates and trites are non-existant (which she told me the same thing before she tested, so I question whether she tested or not!) and again says I am trying to push things to fast. I am not pushing anything. I just want to know where I stand. My test says there are trites, but the trates read once as 5-25, then now just turns brown (which is not a color on the chart and she says that is due to my water hardness - the hardness is the same as the first test so that doesn't hold water with me!)
So, I don't have a reliable LFS (the other one has ich ridden tanks and dead floating fish so I won't go there and all the other ones are at least 30 minutes away).
I don't appreciate being laughed at on the phone - and of course husband was laughing to (did I say he was a pushover?).
Sorry for the rant - I am really pretty pissed -
Any suggestions on why this trate test would work and now doesn't?
 

turningtim

Active Member
Don't blame you a bit! Are you using RO water? what salt are you using?
I would drive the 30 mins........
 

petjunkie

Active Member
This is just the regular red sea test kit? I have this one and never had any problems. Is it new and if not is there an expiration date on the bottom? Maybe try posting a picture of the color but I think maybe it states something about possibly being off if there are nitrites too.
 

jennythebugg

Active Member
most of the time we drive the 45 minutes to the next town(midland) to go to something fishy because the local one here sells dyed fish and has a shark in a tiny tank where it cant even turn around and i like buddy the fish guy alot better than them anyways(nicer)
why is it so hard to find a good lfs?
 

puffer32

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
OK, so I am trying to cycle a 30 gallon tank I want to use as a QT. I have been adding Biozyme but I am chunking that crud to the curb. I have sent my husband to the LFS to take a sample of our water to test, and to buy a shrimp to put in the tank.
Husband just called me from the LFS (he's such a pushover
) laughing at me because the manager of the LFS (who is not a saltwater or even a fish person at all) tells him I am insane for my request. OK, so I don't know the exact semantics, and all, but he puts the phone on speaker and I hear her in the background just repeating herself about how it is normal for the red sea kits to read a value for trates then not read a value. Just sit back and let it happen. SO... I tell him to PLEASE just have them do a full panel test for me so I can see where we stand so far - because I don't want to trust just one test anyway - what if the batch were bad!
So she supposedly tests and says that trates and trites are non-existant (which she told me the same thing before she tested, so I question whether she tested or not!) and again says I am trying to push things to fast. I am not pushing anything. I just want to know where I stand. My test says there are trites, but the trates read once as 5-25, then now just turns brown (which is not a color on the chart and she says that is due to my water hardness - the hardness is the same as the first test so that doesn't hold water with me!)
So, I don't have a reliable LFS (the other one has ich ridden tanks and dead floating fish so I won't go there and all the other ones are at least 30 minutes away).
I don't appreciate being laughed at on the phone - and of course husband was laughing to (did I say he was a pushover?).
Sorry for the rant - I am really pretty pissed -
Any suggestions on why this trate test would work and now doesn't?
What store did this happen to you? We definetly need some better stores around here! I am hoping the new one opening in arlington (true Perc) will be decent, but i guess that it will be a drive for you. 10 mins for me i think.
 

newtankman

Member
I don’t blame you for being upset. I drive 45 to 55 min one way for a good lfs. But I still do not trust them, and rely on my research.
 
Originally Posted by jennythebugg
why is it so hard to find a good lfs?
I totally agree!
We only have ONE fairly decent one in colorado springs. But the people there are rude and very weird. Like they never look you in the eyes and they never smile and they act like you are bothering them. They may tell you little white lies to get you to buy something. I much prefer getting something online where they have a guarantee and have been tried and tested.
 

kilhullen

Member
Originally Posted by TurningTim
Don't blame you a bit! Are you using RO water? what salt are you using?
I would drive the 30 mins........
No, "they" told me to use treated tap water, then RO water for the changes and top offs. *grumbles insanely under her breath*
We are using nemo brand salt (according to my husband who is too lazy to go check for me...) really it is Instant Ocean brand salt.
Looks like I am going to half to. At least that one was clean and had a larger SW than FW selection and actually had some gorgeous corals. I am just worried about the length of trip. 30 min is without any traffic and we all know you can't count on that. Is that close enough still? I mean, I know fish get shipped longer than that, but they are packed a certain way - what should we do to insure the lowest stress trip possible?
 

kilhullen

Member
Originally Posted by petjunkie
This is just the regular red sea test kit? I have this one and never had any problems. Is it new and if not is there an expiration date on the bottom? Maybe try posting a picture of the color but I think maybe it states something about possibly being off if there are nitrites too.
OK, I will take a pic of it next time I test. I put 2 smallish shrimps in there so I want to let it sit a while...
I believe off the top of my head the box is the Red Sea Marin Test kit. It is new enough it was on the front of the shelf, but I didn't think of expiration. I will check that in a few minutes.
 

kilhullen

Member
Originally Posted by jennythebugg
most of the time we drive the 45 minutes to the next town(midland) to go to something fishy because the local one here sells dyed fish and has a shark in a tiny tank where it cant even turn around and i like buddy the fish guy alot better than them anyways(nicer)
why is it so hard to find a good lfs?
I don't know, but if I get this thing down good, maybe I will go into business selling stock I buy from places like SWF and grow my own corals, etc.
 

kilhullen

Member
Originally Posted by puffer32
What store did this happen to you? We definetly need some better stores around here! I am hoping the new one opening in arlington (true Perc) will be decent, but i guess that it will be a drive for you. 10 mins for me i think.
I don't know if I am allowed to say the name (due to board rules), but it is a major chain here locally and it isn't Petsmart but the name is similar. I am willing to even drive to Arlington. 121 isn't too bad I just stay on the service road! It's only 30-40 minutes without traffic.
 

kilhullen

Member
Originally Posted by newtankman
I don’t blame you for being upset. I drive 45 to 55 min one way for a good lfs. But I still do not trust them, and rely on my research.
I try to balance everything with a similar mindset. That is why I wanted a backup test done. Just seems such a waste with gas prices as they are to take water 30-40 minutes to have them test it when I know I am not ready to stock anything.
 

kilhullen

Member
Originally Posted by porthosandjazz
I totally agree!
We only have ONE fairly decent one in colorado springs. But the people there are rude and very weird. Like they never look you in the eyes and they never smile and they act like you are bothering them. They may tell you little white lies to get you to buy something. I much prefer getting something online where they have a guarantee and have been tried and tested.
Have you had good success with this and other companies ordering online? I am a little nervous, but the guarantee and such is reasonably allieviating that. It is though why I am setting up my QT before I start ANYTHING on my DT. Just to be safe and sure.
 
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
I don't know if I am allowed to say the name (due to board rules), but it is a major chain here locally and it isn't Petsmart but the name is similar. I am willing to even drive to Arlington. 121 isn't too bad I just stay on the service road! It's only 30-40 minutes without traffic.
Interesting! I have been to that particular store here in the springs... I bought a naso tang from there, and when I opened the bag, my eyes almost burned with how much chemicals they put in there. I acclimated that puppy for like 5 hours to make sure he would be ok. I think saltwater fish need to be handled by professionals dedicated to marine life, not by people who have to also look after and sell ferrets, rats, birds, cats, dogs, snakes, turtles, guinea pigs, etc.
 

crimzy

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
OK, so I am trying to cycle a 30 gallon tank I want to use as a QT. I have been adding Biozyme but I am chunking that crud to the curb. I have sent my husband to the LFS to take a sample of our water to test, and to buy a shrimp to put in the tank.
Husband just called me from the LFS (he's such a pushover
) laughing at me because the manager of the LFS (who is not a saltwater or even a fish person at all) tells him I am insane for my request. OK, so I don't know the exact semantics, and all, but he puts the phone on speaker and I hear her in the background just repeating herself about how it is normal for the red sea kits to read a value for trates then not read a value. Just sit back and let it happen. SO... I tell him to PLEASE just have them do a full panel test for me so I can see where we stand so far - because I don't want to trust just one test anyway - what if the batch were bad!
So she supposedly tests and says that trates and trites are non-existant (which she told me the same thing before she tested, so I question whether she tested or not!) and again says I am trying to push things to fast. I am not pushing anything. I just want to know where I stand. My test says there are trites, but the trates read once as 5-25, then now just turns brown (which is not a color on the chart and she says that is due to my water hardness - the hardness is the same as the first test so that doesn't hold water with me!)
So, I don't have a reliable LFS (the other one has ich ridden tanks and dead floating fish so I won't go there and all the other ones are at least 30 minutes away).
I don't appreciate being laughed at on the phone - and of course husband was laughing to (did I say he was a pushover?).
Sorry for the rant - I am really pretty pissed -
Any suggestions on why this trate test would work and now doesn't?
I must be missing something because I don't see what the lfs did wrong. Sounds like the person there told you that there were some problems with her test kit and that you shouldn't rush into assuming your cycle is over. Unless the person just had a rude attitude and that doesn't necessarily come across in the story. What am I missing?
 

kilhullen

Member
I am glad to hear that I am not crazy for the way I felt. Thanks everyone. I was just beginning to wonder if I was being to OCD about the parameters.
I really am not trying to rush it, but I DO want to show my foster kids and teach them about the environment and feel like this is a good way to start. They need to know that everything has to be in a perfect balance to host something as beautiful as a reef - *trying* to teach them environmental consciousness.
 
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
Have you had good success with this and other companies ordering online? I am a little nervous, but the guarantee and such is reasonably allieviating that. It is though why I am setting up my QT before I start ANYTHING on my DT. Just to be safe and sure.
Very much so. I mainly use this online site. They have been absolutely wonderful to me (and no they are not paying me to say that). Everything I have gotten has been healthy. I have gotten a couple of DOAs, but they have reimbursed me everytime without a hitch.
Just yesterday, I ordered brown zoos 40+ polyps. I got a huge rock with OVER 300 POLYPS. Not saying that happens everytime, but I have never been disappointed with what they have sent me.
The local stores NEVER have a guarantee. And when you are buying a $70 fish, I think I would rather go with an established company that has a guarantee.
 

kilhullen

Member
Originally Posted by porthosandjazz
Very much so. I mainly use this online site. They have been absolutely wonderful to me (and no they are not paying me to say that). Everything I have gotten has been healthy. I have gotten a couple of DOAs, but they have reimbursed me everytime without a hitch.
Just yesterday, I ordered brown zoos 40+ polyps. I got a huge rock with OVER 300 POLYPS. Not saying that happens everytime, but I have never been disappointed with what they have sent me.
The local stores NEVER have a guarantee. And when you are buying a $70 fish, I think I would rather go with an established company that has a guarantee.
Yeah, what I think is insane is this particular store, they guarantee their fw fish but not the sw fish. When I asked why they said there are too many variables at stake. Made me begin to wonder if they were talking about their tank or mine - especially when a company such as SWF doesn't make such assumptions that you are going to have poor conditions - and they NEVER see your tank, your parameters, or anything!
 
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
I am glad to hear that I am not crazy for the way I felt. Thanks everyone. I was just beginning to wonder if I was being to OCD about the parameters.
I really am not trying to rush it, but I DO want to show my foster kids and teach them about the environment and feel like this is a good way to start. They need to know that everything has to be in a perfect balance to host something as beautiful as a reef - *trying* to teach them environmental consciousness.
Sounds like someone is trying to justify their desire for a saltwater tank!!! :wink: :wink: Just admit it... you just want a gorgeous tank that you can call your own. For that rewarding feeling you get after days and days of research and testing and lugging jugs of water around...
hehehe! :hug:
But seriously... if you really are serious... here is a site you may be interested in... I learned about it through scuba diving
http://www.projectaware.org/
 
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
Yeah, what I think is insane is this particular store, they guarantee their fw fish but not the sw fish. When I asked why they said there are too many variables at stake. Made me begin to wonder if they were talking about their tank or mine - especially when a company such as SWF doesn't make such assumptions that you are going to have poor conditions - and they NEVER see your tank, your parameters, or anything!
Yep. I got the same story. So I don't get things from there anymore. It's just not worth it.
 
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